You have had your gala time over the weekend; you slip into bed dreaming of all good things and boom! It’s 8 O’clock on Monday. Even before the Monday blues start taking over your senses, you got to rush to catch that bus or metro to be on time for office.
In the hustle and bustle, just in order to save yourself 10 minutes to be on time, you skipped your breakfast. You may relate to it as, referring to statistics, 28% of male and 18% of females in the United States skip their breakfast regularly.
Not only owing to our busy schedules, a lot of people consider skipping breakfast in order to cut down their net calories intake. By doing this, they believe they can accomplish their goal of having a slimmer figure.
Well, whether or not breakfast is the most important meal of the day, the topic for sure is given importance for over a century. [1]
It is said that skipping breakfast to get in shape is just a myth and it does not yield any permanent results. Skipping breakfast in order to lower the net calorie intake is said to do more harm than good.
In this article, we will discuss the ill effects of skipping breakfast and some really fascinating facts about breakfast.[2]
How does skipping breakfast affects our body?
They also noted that glucose concentrations in the body were higher on the days people skipped breakfast.
The fat oxidation was accelerated in people who skip breakfast indicating that their body used the stored fat reserves which are not really as good as it sounds.
It is also noted by researchers that people who skip breakfast daily are at higher risk of developing type 2 diabetes and obesity in the long term. This is because low-grade inflammation evidently affects insulin sensitivity.
Both blood sugar control and metabolism of a person is better in the morning and therefore, eating healthy at the start of the day will ensure you do not face any metabolic impairment in the long term.
Talk to your dietitian if you want to lose some weight instead of skipping breakfast.
Follow what your dietitian prescribes you and tell her if you would want to skip your lunch or dinner and eat limited meals a day.
Learning about healthy food habits and lifestyle from an early age will go a long way. [3]
Here are some random facts about breakfast which are both quirky and interesting:
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Breakfast is a modern-day invention
Breakfast is a modern-day invention. However, this doesn’t mean people did not eat breakfast. Those days, the previous night’s leftovers were eaten in the morning.
Breakfast food items included whole grains, fats, proteins etc. In 1863, the first breakfast cereal was invented by James Celeb Jackson, a health reformer. He made the cereal using graham flour and water. Later, ‘Granola’ was invented with the same idea.
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Breakfast and nutrition
Protein and fiber-rich breakfast are eaten to feel more energised throughout the day. This enables one to carry out activities for the day without feeling fatigued.
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Dessert for breakfast
As strange as it may sound, eating a sugary treat in the morning occasionally might not be so bad.
A study conducted in 2012 revealed that people who eat low-calorie healthy foods and included dessert in their morning food items showcased better weight loss results.
Satisfying your sweet tooth in the morning will ensure you have lesser cravings throughout the day and thus, can easily refrain from eating unhealthy foods.
10 Dangers of Skipping Breakfast
Now that we know all things necessary about breakfast, let’s jump to how skipping breakfast affects.
Every ill effect of skipping breakfast which is listed is backed by research reports and various other studies.
Following are the 10 harmful effects of skipping breakfast:
1. Weight Gain
Your weight loss plan might include skipping breakfast in the morning in order to shed reserved body fat throughout the day, but wait! It may not be a good idea, really!
A study reveals that people who skip their morning breakfast are more likely to gain weight in the long term. The reason is quite logical. Not having enough food in the morning will intensify those hunger pangs in your stomach and leave you feeling fatigued for the entire day.
This will interfere with your daily activities and you might feel less productive at the end of the day. Also, you will have food cravings the entire day and therefore might end up eating some untimely and unhealthy foods.
Eating healthy and well-cooked meals in the morning will keep those bad hunger pangs away and ensure that you stay fit and healthy in the long term.[4]
2. Diabetes
Risk of Diabetes is higher for those who don’t eat their morning meals. A study conducted by Harvard University School of Public Health revealed surprising results after monitoring the eating habits of 46,289 women for six years.
It reflected the fact that women who skipped their morning meals regularly were exposed to increased risk of type-2 diabetes than women who preferred having breakfast daily.
It also stated the fact that working women who do not have their morning meals have 54% more chance of developing type-2 diabetes later in life.[5]
3. Mood swings and low energy
Missing your breakfast can have a negative impact on your energy levels and mood throughout the day.
It is because after overnight fasting of approximately 8-9 hours our body requires a little calorie intake to function all day long. Getting to work on an empty stomach will leave you fatigued and you might end up being grumpy all day.
Likewise, a study reveals that not having breakfast has an effect on memory. Having your morning meals will ensure you’re energised, cheerful and chirpy throughout the day. 6]
4. Heart problems
The Journal of the American Medical Association published a study which highlighted how having breakfast daily is the way to have a healthy heart.
The study revealed that people who do not prefer to have their morning meals are 27% more vulnerable to heart attacks than people who eat breakfast.
Although the rate of risk is not that significant, breakfast eaters can completely avoid the risk in this sphere. Also, avoiding breakfast might result in hypertension and chronic cardiovascular health conditions in the long term.[7]
5. Cancer
Since skipping breakfast leaves you hungry and fatigued; overeating during the day is often the case.
Eating quick and unhealthy meals might lead to metabolism impairment and hormonal imbalance which commonly lead to obesity. Being obese and overweight exposes you to increased risk of developing certain cancers.[8]
6. Migraines
After overnight fasting, blood sugar levels drop and that is when we have to have some carbohydrates, vitamins, and proteins.
Missing your morning breakfast lowers your blood sugar levels even further so that body releases certain hormones to compensate for it. Thus, acidity and more such problems show up.
Also, blood pressure levels increase which may trigger migraines and severe headaches which will affect your day.
The conclusion: Skipping breakfast doesn’t help much but adds to more health problems. [9]
7. Poor cognitive function
A study conducted on teenagers between the age of 12 and 15 proved the fact that eating breakfast betters your cognitive functions.
The study involved two groups of children, the ones who had their breakfast every morning and the other group had children who did not have morning meals.
The results stated that most of the group of children who had breakfast each morning could clear the visual search test. On the other hand, the group of teenagers who refrained from having their morning meals showcased poorer results. [10]
8. Hair loss
Protein-rich food is of vital importance as the lack of protein can trigger a number of health conditions.
Not having a morning meal rich in protein and fibre majorly triggers hair loss as low protein levels would result in low keratin levels. Keratin is important for hair growth and prevention of hair loss.
Include protein-rich food in your morning meal along with fibrous fruits to help you recover hair loss.[11]
9. Slowed Metabolis
Something that everyone needs to make note of is the fact that starving would not make you lose weight to look any attractive. If you are constantly skipping breakfast to look slim, you need to think of a healthier alternative.
Your body will use the reserved fat to carry out daily activities when you skip your morning meals which will make you burn extra calories every morning but only temporarily.
In the long term, it will hamper your metabolism and thus you will have to deal with problems like acidity and indigestion and various other ailments. Go light on your morning meal but it is important that you plan your meal and eat sufficiently. [12]
10. Worsened hangover
The morning meal is a must in case you are dealing with a hangover as it is all the nourishment that your body needs to recover.
A healthy breakfast including some whole grains, eggs or other protein and fibre rich meals will help you wand off the headache and help you with the bloating.
So the next time you leave somewhere in a rush, pause for a moment and think about all the ill effects of skipping breakfast. Take time to prepare a healthy meal. It could just be simple eggs or a smoothie. Trust us, spending 10 minutes for this important meal is totally worth it.
Thanks for sharing this valuable information its inspirational and educational, hope it benefit others
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Thank you for this inspirational article, it really helped.
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Thank you Shunmukha, really interesting. A year ago I’ve started to do regular breakfast as my dietitian recommended and the results are amazing , I’m not as hungry as always and my diabetes is much better, I am also glad it helped me a lot with weight loss and also keeping it off, hope it help some others too
Dear Mary! Thank you for your lovely note, We are so glad to receive your feedback towards our blog, Keep following our blog to know such more health information.Happy to receive such a lovely experience through our program ,surely we will share this feedback to doctor shunmukha.